• Gates Foundation commits $1.6 billion over five years to Gavi.
• Bill Gates warns of rising child deaths due to foreign aid cuts.
• Funding comes as Gavi faces reduced support from key donors, including the U.S.

On Tuesday, June 24, 2025, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced a five-year, $1.6 billion commitment to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. The funding aims to expand access to life-saving vaccines for children in low-income countries, particularly in Africa.

“For the first time in decades, the number of kids dying around the world will likely go up this year instead of down because of massive cuts to foreign aid. That is a tragedy,” warned Bill Gates, chair of the Gates Foundation. “Fully funding Gavi is the single most powerful step we can take to stop it.”

His comments come amid growing concern over shrinking global health budgets. Several countries are reducing aid contributions. The United States, under the Trump administration, has announced plans to slash its annual $300 million contribution to Gavi.

Since its launch in 2000, Gavi has supported 40 African countries. Gavi reports having enabled the vaccination of 469 million children and prevented nearly 12 million deaths across the continent.

In 2025 alone, 20 African countries introduced the malaria vaccine into their national immunization programs. Gavi now supports efforts against 21 diseases, including measles, meningitis, Ebola, and malaria.

This article was initially published in French by Ingrid Haffiny (intern)